European patent EP 0 306 766 B1 or EP 0 230 804 B1 discloses a metallic cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine in which a carrier plate is provided together with at least one beaded, resilient covering plate as a functional plate. Since the sealing gap between cylinder head and cylinder block of an internal combustion engine changes during operation as a function of the operating cycle of the cylinder respectively considered, the gasket is continually subjected to compression changes and, in order to maintain a satisfactory seal, must have permanent spring properties. For this purpose, the bead running around the respective combustion chamber opening and acting as a spring element is protected by a spring stroke limiter or stopper which is arranged along the edge of the combustion chamber and limits the spring stroke of the bead, which follows the relative movements of the cylinder head with respect to the cylinder block which take place vertically with respect to the plane of the gasket, so that the bead moves only in the spring stroke range provided for it and cannot be pressed flat. For this purpose, the relief of the loading on the bead must not be complete but must take place only to such an extent that minimum deformation ensures the necessary sealing at the maximum combustion chamber pressure that occurs. The spring stroke limiter forms an elevation of the cylinder head gasket that extends along the combustion chamber edge.
For internal combustion engines with cylinder liners, however, gaskets of this type are unsuitable, since vertical forces which occur as the gasket is being clamped in or when it is clamped in are introduced to the combustion chamber edge and therefore substantially into the cylinder liner, so that tilting moments occur.
European patent application EP 0 740 092 A1 therefore discloses a metallic cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine which has cylinder liners. This gasket comprises at least one beaded top plate and a carrier plate and is provided with a deformation limiter which is provided for the respective bead and forms an elevation for the gasket, is formed by a ring on the carrier plate and is applied to that side of the bead which faces away from the combustion chamber opening, so that it is supported on the liner collar.
German patent DE 195 13 360 C1 discloses a metallic cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine in which at least one beaded top plate and a carrier plate are provided, a deformation limiter for the respective bead being provided around each opening, along the combustion chamber edge. In this case, the deformation limiter is profiled in terms of height and/or width in the circumferential direction in accordance with the component stiffness of cylinder head and block, in order to achieve the most uniform pressing force distribution possible. Furthermore, in this case, in addition to the inner deformation limiter, an outer deformation limiter can also be provided on the side of the respective bead which faces away from the combustion chamber opening, in order in this way to achieve the introduction of force into the bead area which takes place as vertically as possible in relation to the plane of the gasket.
Above all in internal combustion engines with cylinder liners, it has transpired that, even when use is made of an outer deformation limiter that is profiled in terms of height and/or width, problems repeatedly occur with regard to the tightness of the cylinder head gasket. This problem could not even be solved by use being made additionally of a corresponding inner deformation limiter.